'Cowards can't fight this battle': Congress' jibe after RPN Singh quits to join BJPĪhead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, former Union minister Ratanjit Pratap Narain Singh on Tuesday resigned from Congress and joined the BJP in New Delhi.ĥG lawsuit: Delhi HC proposes to reduce fine on Juhi Chawla from Rs 20 lakh to 2 lakh Panagariya suggested that the government must now signal its intention to wind down the fiscal deficit by cutting it by a half-to-one percentage point in 2022-23 Indian economy has recovered 'handsomely' from pandemic-induced disruptions, says ex-NITI Ayog VC Arvind Panagariya UP elections: Ready to contest against Yogi Adityanath in Gorakhpur, says Kafeel Khanĭr Khan, who came in the news in 2017 when 63 children died at BRD Medical college for lack of oxygen, said that he was made the scapegoat of the tragedy is ready to challenge the chief minister in the upcoming Assembly polls If they have decided to offer Padma Bhushan to me, I refuse to accept it, said Bhattacharjee in a statement Kalabhavan Mani, Kalpana, director Rajesh Pillai, story writer Akbar Kakatil, lyricist ONV Kurup, music director and singer – Shaan Johnson, background score specialist Rajamani, cameraman Anandakuttan, to name few.Įx-West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee rejects Padma Bhushan award Meanwhile it's been a very sad year with the deaths of many actors and crew members from the Malayalam film industry. The buzz was that Mani would have gotten a ticket from the party to contest in the coming Kerala assembly elections. Mani was forthright in his views and was close to the CPM in Kerala. One time he lost out on the Kerala state best actor award to another actor, which made him sad and in an emotional outburst he said he was always discriminated. At times he did feel that he was not given his due in the Malayalam film industry. Mani was a very popular man in his home town Chalakudy and went out of his way to help the poor and needy. One more of My Malayalee brothers dying of cirrhosis. Mani has played some notable characters in big Tamil films like Anniyan and Rajinikanth’s Enthiran and the recent Kamal Haasan starrer Papanasam. As a stage performer he was an all rounder who could do a one-man show on stage. Mani was also a popular singer who specialised in ' Nadan Pattu' (local folk songs) and an Ayappa devotee, who made religious songs, which had record sales during Sabarimala season. Mani later did a small role in Aksharam (1995), which never released, but got a big break playing a toddy tapper in Sallapam, which was written by a close friend and neighbour Lohitadas, who later became a top writer and director. Mani won the special jury award at the 2000 National film awards for his role as a visually challenged person in Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum. He used to mimic then popular Malayalam actors and caught the attention of Siddique (later went on to become a hit director in Malayalam, also directed Salman Khan’s Bodyguard) who was at that time a student of Kalabhavan a mimicry group. Mani was born in a very poor family, and started life as a autorikshaw driver. Mani (45) was a popular actor who has done hero and character roles in nearly 200 Malayalam films.